Where does “wield” come from?

Wield comes from Middle English welden, from Old English wealdan, from Proto-Germanic waldaną, from Proto-Indo-European waldʰ-, meaning to rule or control.

wield (English): To command, rule over; to possess or own; To...

Definitions

  1. To command, rule over; to possess or own; To...

Ancestry of “wield”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwẹ̄ldento reign, rule, command
2Old Englishwealdanto control; to wield; to rule
3Germanic*waldan—
4Proto-Germanicwaldanąto rule
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwaldʰ-to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess

Words derived from “wield”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European waldʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic waldaną →Every word from Germanic *waldan →